The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-05
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
JOHN MANLEy.
John
When We we're first acqnent
Your la ks were Like the raven,
Your bonnie brow Was brent
OLD SsrrLERs

Your bounIe brow was brent
Tha, was so with us TOO. But half ecu
fury Of years hus made change in the FRYE
TE,prR, A. well q, "our respected fellow Cit
irens." But other things are changed III
1870, when John Manley came 10 Ottawa
ali "a sale ,ounty had not us large popa'
lation A. Ottawa now has. The entire s'a'e
of Illinois ha not half million OF souls
fewer by hunlrels Of I'll usands than what
Chicago now las, The state was bankrupt
There was not in The possession OF all the
people money enough to pay the interest Tor
one year on It's debt Of Sli,Ooo'OOo. MI
Manley wa. then twenty.eight years old
Having learned his trade in the now oeauu
full city OF Erie, Penn, he Was really Tor any
opening in the way Of business
The year 1910 Was notably sickly one In
OF, AVA and hardly half Of those cut down
With bilious fever got up again. Manly Sc
verely attacked, escaped; perhaps through
the kindness OF citizen who look hun from
the Mansion house to his home, and TO care
full nursing, when cnicken broth had fewer
bones and more nour,shment.
In due time the tin shop, established three
years before, displayed the sign John Man
lev & Co.. aud has swung over that locality
for near half century. the occupant anu
heal of the establishment giving himselfun'
remit,iugly to the business that came to hand
Tradition has il that in early years he con.
tr,buted TO the musical entertainment OF the
public by membership in the famous Bald
win band, which once gave complimentary
benefit in the way Of serenade to Governor
Carlin, on . visit to Ottawa. He was some
what skillful on the flute as well as the clar.
ionet. He WAS also for q time, member OF
the choir aud helped in the singing at Sun
day service in the Mechanics hall. Once
this choir, of q Sunday, when father New
ton" preached. had invited in John Hubbard,
Of Harding, who came to Ottawa two even
ings Q week 10 teach in q singing school, to
assist with his violin with which he led his
class in school. Hubbard, reverent and
blameless, Christian man, assented. The
hymn given out, the tune found, Hubbard
took position and "sounded the key note" Up
rose the parson with indignant protest. "He
wouldn't allow that thing in church The
violin WAS one Of the DEVILS instruments "
IL can hardly be believed that Mr.. Manley
took that view of it as he subsequently,
evinced no little pleasure In the music OF
tia, instrument as he played by Miss c as
Tie, 20 gay and sprightly young lady" who
lived in Main street, and who WAS at sundry
tunes accompanied with his flute.
After Thomas Ford bacame governor Of
Illinois in 1912, there came better manage
ment Of state finances, and after 1885. a
. large increase of population. The latter
year terminated the harrassing difficulties
with the Mormons who were expelled from
The state State warrants had come up
from fifty cents on dollar to nearly par,
and. the state had msdea large loan with
view to complete the canal, which already
had cost $50OO,OO0. The banditti which
had infested the northwest and the regula.
tors, counterfeters and horse thivcs in Mas.
sac and Pope counties, in the extreme south
had left for "psrts unknown" or were quiet
ed, and the state generally emerged from
embarrassment Meantime the active part
ner of "the old reliable" firm of John Man.
10y j. Co., had rendered himself liable to
arrest and punishment for violation of the
Bachelors Club. Too much flute playing
and evening duets and taken effect, "struck
in" so to speak, and he had consumated
marriage with Miss Maria Castle, Sept. 1884.
Parson Newton's notification to the public
IS to tho real character of the fiddle had
avsiled nething in the case. The $4,000
court house not being finished, Manley was
arrested In his own dwelling on dark.
rainy night and taken for trial to the Fox
River House. This was nearly six years be.
fore there we're side walks In Ottawa. In a
SPECIAL term of court he was arraigned, and
~ undoubted evidence convicted Of having
committed mstrimony, ard was duly fined.
Previous good character secured no mitiga-
ton of sentence. When he returned home
at . late hour the next morning, boots, hat
and clothes generally showed what he had
undergone. 1t may be reasonably hoped
that he will not be soon chargeable with
another such offense.
There WAS not at that time any other
than wooden buildings on the courthouse
square. Geo. Z. Walker lived In twostory
and q half house q little southeast Of the
court house William Reddick in wood
house directly east of the court house, and
north Of the Mansion House, where after
wards he built his store. David Sanger
lived directly opposite on the west, MIR
Manley in the Macy house, where Hull's
store now Il. Afterwards he purchased a
dwelling house ON the Le1t block north.
Tha stor> ms nj, mi tnnk nm tho oh a racfar nj